Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Bipolar Disorder, ECT, Social Security Disability

Here's a post from another blogger that I'd like to recommend, simply because reading and listening to other people's stories is didactic, particularly if you suffer from the same affliction.

The blogger is an attorney with Bipolar Disorder who is on ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). His claim for LTD benefits has been denied and he is currently in the process of pursuing social security disability benefits.

As he states, the ECT has been extremely helpful in treating his bipolar disorder; however, not surprisingly, he's suffering memory deficits. This is essentially the situation with my brother-in-law, who has been on out-patient ECT for about 2 years. In his case, the memory problems seem to be cumulative; that is, the longer the electroconvulsive therapy continue the worse his memory problems seem to get. In fact, just remembering how to get the movie theater he has gone to a few dozen times is a no-can-do. Hopefully, that won't be the case with this blogger. My brother-in-law does say, though, that even with the memory impairment, he's very glad he's received ECT, because the alternative (manic episodes, depression, and constant thoughts of suicide) was much worse.

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...

HI THERE IM ALSO BI-POLAR,with high anxiety. and ive had 2 bac surgeries, and suffer from copd, and im epileptic, do to having 4 strokes.also i have 50% blockage on both sides of my carotid arties, and 36% in my brain by the cerabellum. i suffer from memory loss i stutter i cant remember stuff that happens hours ago letton on weeksago this year a day b4 easter. thank God everyone else was ok.except me im 42 and the hardware i had in my back has moved and i have 2 buldging disk, and alot of nerve damange,and my nec has messd up disk also.I CANY DRIVE AND I CAN B WALIN AND JUST FALL OUT OF NO WHERE;ALSO I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE VALVES AND AORTA IN MY HEART ARENT DOIN GOOD CUZ OF THE STROKE!But thet dont want to give me disability! so now im waitin on an appeal date.also i cant b left alone.i feel like im losing it sumtimes! THANKS FOR LISTENING GOOD LUCK TOO ALL OF YOU AND GOD BLESS! LOVE YOUR SISTER IN CHRIST TINA RENE SMITH!oh this yr. day b4 easter the family got in a bad car accident.thats why my hardware in my back is moved now and i have another buldging dis there and 1 above the hardware,and so much nerve damage, and have a closed head injury. so plz keep me in your prayers, and all of you are in mine also God bless all off you thanks 4 listening!